“Coming and Affecting Effortlessly” p: 174

AyinBase with R' Paltiel Tuesday 24 Elul 5772 

Page 174 – start of the second paragraph – about 8 lines in (line starts, 'yesh sphirot...') For text, see picture below.

The overall point – even though the overall light – 'light by definition' has the quality of essential light / ohr atzmi, and represents, 'coming from essence', and coming and affecting effortlessly, yet there are levels in light. And we say three times 'holy' – 'kadosh, kadosh, kadosh!'

Starting 'bottom – up' in the world of 'atzilus' (the lowest level that is a presence of light) – [our world – biyah – is also a creation with light somewhere under all the concealment, but it is a presence of vessels, not light. You see a man walking – and that is the presence you see – his intention is concealed] – there is no presence except for the source.

Atzilus is like chochmah/wisdom – and chochmah has not presence except for the moment it flashes forth from its source – it is like a spark. It is united with its source.

What is a vessel? You can define a certain element in the light and then present it through a vessel. In physical world this is about quantity. In the beginning the oceans covered over the earth, and then they were brought together to reveal the earth. This is not being in a vessel. If you take some and say, 'this is water' and put it in a cup... then it is in a vessel...

a vessel enables a presentation. Lights are essence – reality – not in a vessel. But in atzilus, there is a world and the lights are put into vessels and you have sphirot – chochmah, binah, and daas etc...

What is the principle of presentation? That something can be distinguished from something else.

“Essence Light” p: 174

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Monday 22 Elul 5772  

Page 174 – start of the sencond paragraph (line starts, 'vehinei...') For text, see picture below.

The priniciple is that all light – even that which comes after the tzimzum has an element of essence... this goes back to the origin of the light. It is not a presence in atzmus, but brought out volitionally. This will is essential and thus the light that results is an essential light.

And there are levels within this – that's why it says in the service, 'holy, holy, holy' – 3x kadosh. Holiness is removed from any external effects. Essence is by definition holy and removed (muvdal). It is present eveywhere but not absorbed.

Why the repetition of 3x 'holy' when holy anyway means pure and removed? Thats because there are different types of separation and removal...

In general there are 3 types of differences.

The light itself is simple, but when it comes into vessels it aquires an identification of chochmah/wisdom and chesed/kindness.

And what is said elsewhere that the light carries sphirot, nevertheless it has an element of simplicity relevant to the vessels.

“See in the Nothing the Something” p: 174

AyinBase with R' Paltiel Friday 22 Elul 5772  

Page 174 – lower end of the top paragraph (line starts, 'hazimzum...') For text, see picture below.

The tzimzum per se is a total interruption – absence of light. Even after the light comes again there is still an element of absence, in that it is not invested in the recipients. After the parsa the light is invested in the vessels of the lower level.

Sechel is based on the soul's will and pleasure, not on observations. The master's mind is so structured. It is derived from his soul and not founded upon any specific structure. By contrast for the student it is the structure and the logic that gives him a grasp. Then he has to labour and work till he finds it in his own soul, till he can become a rav/master himself. This is a long process.

So this is the difference between atzilus and briah. Atzilus is like the master. Through the parsa the light of the higher level is invested in the lower level.

By contrast the tzimzum is followed by a light that is not invested in the level below it. There is light after a complete absence.

The light of the line/kav is like the light of the luminary and has an aspect of essence.

Essence cannot be grasped in a vessel, yet this light has an aspect of essence, to such an extent that it can create from 'nothing to something'.

“True Life Element” p: 174

AyinBase with R' Paltiel Friday 20 Elul 5772 

Page 174 – middle of the top paragraph (line starts, 'legabay...') For text, see picture below.

Light after the tzimzum has an essential quality, even though it is after the tzimzum.

Tzimzum results in a total absence of light in contrast to the parsa, so you may think the essence does not come through. But actually the parsa has a more profound affect.

The parsa allows the light to assume the contours of the vessel into which it is invested. The soul is dressed in the body and assumes some of the body qualities to provide for it life and mind and you can lose sense that it is spiritual.

The light that follows the tzimzum is not of the tzimzum, but rather it is due to Him, that He comes back and shines again (chozer u-may-ir), in a close way... this is initiated from above. It is not to fill some lacking on a lower level. It is due to a movement from above.

This gives the light after the tzimzum an 'authentic' quality – from the ohr ein sof – the infinite light.

Think of breathing. We participate, yet there is a 'true life element' – a limitless quality, that is beyond a defined action. Life cannot be explained from a physical perspective, even though life is invested into a physical body.

Breathing is a physical illustration of this concept – an activity that is initiated from above. Air pressure pushes itself into our nostrils when we inhale. On the one hand it is via the conduit/tzimzum of the nostril, but what comes? And how does it come? Life itself comes, due to its infinity.

So the tzimzum is initiated from above, and goes through a narrow channel, but it does not think, 'how do I relate to this' – it comes with an element of infinity.

The light that comes via the kav/line retains an element of the luminary.

Eins sof – infinity, doesn't even apply to essence. Essence is reality itself. Light has a source. Essence has no source. And this light in the kav/line that is the origin of existence, carries this essential quality. There is an element of the essene in everything.

“Into Actual Living” p: 174

AyinBase with R' Paltiel ThursdayNight19 Elul 5772  

Page 174 – 5^rd line from top of the page (line starts, 'misakev...') For text, see picture below.

We are talking about the tzimzum versus the parsa. The tzimzum deals with before the whole creation. The tzimzum removes the light and allows for it to be re-introduced in an orderly fashion.

Atzilus is much lower. It is a 'world', but a G-dly world. Atzilus is like chochmah. In binah things are understood by virtue of process and structure. Chochmah is a direct recognition. This is like a direct sight.

From there it comes into a created world – briyah. Between atzilus and briyah is a parsa.

Binah is like briyah. Binah relates to chochmah and draws information from it. But it does not relate by being overwhelmed. It says, 'the reason I know it is because I understand it and found it – I found it in chochmah.

Human perception recognizes that to steal is not good. One knows this intuitively. This is chochmah at a low level – sechel enushi – human mind. But this is not enough to guide a person in life – a more practical direct explanation is needed at the time of challenge.

Between chochmah and binah is a gap. A parsa. The gap is important – it provides the means to relate to something above and overcome a temptation.

The light via the tzimzum is of a higher quality than that of the parsa. Even though the light via the parsa seems to have a more active relationship etc...

The light from atzilus to briyah is via the parsa.

Think of a teacher and student. Before the teacher begins he thinks, 'wait a second, how will I give it to him? How do I present it to him, so that he relates to it?' - this process is called a parsa. It is a stop and then a presentation in terms that are meaningful to the recipient.  

And the Rebbe is saying that in this there is an advantage and a lacking.

An advantage is that the light is backed-up so it will relate to the recipient. There is an interuption/transformation that takes place.

The light measures itself to the recipient.

Think of investment/enclothement. The soul is dressed in the body. We are conscious of it. When we think of an idea/sechel, we attribute to it a form or physicality.

For us to understand it has to hit us. Hit us in a way we can relate. We have to be hit by it.

Chochmah is phenomenal. It is part of our sechel/mind. We know it. But we do not require a basis for 'how come I know it'. For example, even as a child, I knew I should eat neatly. Why? I don't know. The real reason – the brain senses the neshamah and what it wants. And the soul says, 'you are a human being, not an animal...!'

chochmah is thus touched by the soul/neshamah. It is touched by the ratzon/will of the human being.

So, it is the soul having an affect in the physical world.

Chochmah will say to binah, 'there's a right and a wrong. You have to find out what is right and wrong. You know things are pleasant and unpleasant. And not everything that is pleasant is necessarily good'.

The light that comes after the parsa is called a deflected ohr. This is a different entity compared to the light that preceded the parsa.

The tzimzum, though it is great interruption in terms of concealment of the light, but the light that follows it is from the 'chozer and mayir' – 'return and illuminate', in an aspect of closeness, not like the akavah/holding back manner of the parsa.

And coming back down to earth, 'all of this is saying that regardless of how worldly and physical our experience becomes, it all flows from a living soul/neshamah. From a soul that comes and embraces us with its oneg/pleasure and ratzon/will. The whole concept of pleasure is spiritual. A computer can never have pleasure...! Through the faculties of the soul, we become functioning human beings representing a living soul... we live up to this soul view...'